Whispered Secrets, Jay Mirano [top young adult novels txt] 📗

Sam. Accept it."
"You bitch."
"It's the truth."
"You can say whatever you like about Jake, but you're not going to make me stay away. I've known him his whole life, how long have you known him? Five minutes? You're just a passing fad."
Lacey’s expression darkened, and for a moment, her pretty face seemed somewhat ugly. “Your choice.”
With that, Lacey breezed from the bathroom, her blond ringlets bouncing furiously on her shoulders. I ran after her, desperate to stop her before she got back to the table and told Jake everything.
"Lacey, stop!" I called over the chaos of the dinner. "We need to talk about this!"
Lacey turned and scowled at me, and I felt my pulse accelerate in my ears. I felt like my whole world was crumbling down before my eyes, and there was nothing I could do about it.
“Oh, look!” Lacey trilled, shooting a glace at me over her shoulder. “Food’s here! What perfect timing.”
I gaped at her in confusion, but she just smiled at me as if the conversation in the bathroom had never taken place.
“What are you looking at, Sam?” Johnny asked, patting the seat beside him. “Sit down and eat.”

***

I could feel the heat radiating off of Jake’s body, and I was overcome with an urge to reach out and touch him. The fact that I couldn’t made me want to scream.
“Is Lacey okay with you being here?” I asked, perching uneasily on the side of my bed.
“Why wouldn’t she be?”
For a moment, I was seized by the insatiable desire to tell him everything about Lacey’s cruelty, about the hatred that thrived beneath her innocent blue eyes, but the way Jake was looking at me made the words stop dead in my mouth. I couldn’t shatter his happiness, not now.
“Oh, I don’t know,” I said, forcing a smile. “So what did you want to talk about?”
“It’s Lacey.”
The breath caught in my throat, and I wildly hoped he was going to tell me it was over.
“I think I...”
“You think you what?” I snapped, impatience washing over me.
“I think I’m in love with her.”
The blood drained from my face, and I felt my shoulders sag. Great, just great.
“And... And you think she feels the same way?” I asked, hating myself for uttering those words.
“I hope so!” He said, rising from the bed and wringing his hands together. “I mean, we’re great together, aren’t we? She’s funny, smart... Everything I’ve ever wanted.”
I felt his words sting; why couldn’t I be everything he ever wanted? Wasn’t I good enough?
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“Tell her, obviously.”
My heart constricted, and I felt myself launching to my feet to face him. We were so close I could feel his breath on my face, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“Do you think that’s such a good idea?”
His eyebrows pulled together, knitting in place. “What do you mean?”
I took his hands in mine, trying to ignore the electricity that resulted from his touch. “What if she doesn’t feel the same way?”
I felt him pull away, and he turned his back to me. “Do you really think she doesn’t?”
“I couldn’t say... But it hasn't exactly been a very long time, why do you want to rush things so much?”
Jake sat on the bed once more, and looked up at me with uncomprehending eyes. “But what if she doesn’t

feel the same way?”
“Don’t worry about it, Jake,” I said, trying to sound as if I was scolding a foolish child. “The time will come to say the L word, but maybe let her say it first? You don’t want to scare her off...”
“You’re right Sam, you’re always right. I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”
He swept me into a hug, and I felt Lacey’s words ring in my ears; you’re nothing to him

.
I swallowed back the threat of tears, and melted into Jake’s embrace.

Chapter IV

I could hear the whispers resounding off the walls, chasing after me, biting at my heels. But every time I raised my eyes from the ground, the faces that greeted me were still as stone, observing me warily as though I harbored some frightening and unknown disease. I knew they were talking about me, but why I had no idea.
I caught a glimpse of Lacey and her friends leering out at me from behind their open lockers, stifling laughs with the palm of their hands. I hesitated as I drew nearer, slowing my pace and scrutinizing their stares. They returned my gaze, unwavering and arrogant, like a silent battle of wills. I cocked an eyebrow and continued my trek.
“So, do you think the baby’s Johnny’s?” I heard a voice say, and I felt myself grow cold.
I snapped my head up in the direction of the voice, and saw a group of girls to my left, their eyes plastered to my stomach. I dropped a hand defensively over it, trying not to tremble.
“I’m not pregnant!” I shrieked, and the din in the hallway ceased immediately. Every one's eyes were on me, eagerly awaiting my next outburst.
“Lacey said you were,” the middle girl piped up, narrowing her brown eyes at me. The way she said it implied that Lacey’s word was law.
I cast a spiteful glance over my shoulder in Lacey’s direction, and she smirked back at me like a cat that had just successfully managed to eat the family goldfish.
“I’m not pregnant,” I said again, fighting to keep my voice level. As I walked away, I heard the same voice mutter, “Yeah, right

.”

***

I found Johnny in the cafeteria, noisily sucking up the last few dregs of his chocolate milk through a straw. Why anyone thought I’d let this goon impregnate me, I didn’t know.
When he saw my furious approach, his face flushed scarlet. But I knew it wasn’t out of embarrassment; it was satisfaction.
“Have you heard what everyone’s been saying about us?” he grinned, trying to wind his arms around my waist only to be pushed away.
“Yes, I have,” I spat, crossing my arms over my chest. “So why are you beaming like a Cheshire Cat about it?”
“Because everyone thinks I’m The Man

! He cried, rocking back and forth on his heels to exaggerate his ecstasy. I rolled my eyes.
“But it’s not true! We haven’t even... I would never even...”
“I know, I know,” Johnny relented. “But please let the boys believe it, just for a while? I’m the only one of them that hasn’t, y’know... Done the deed

.”
I peered over his shoulder at the group of cajoling boys in the background, and raised my eyebrows.
“Please!” He begged. “I’ll tell them you’re not pregnant, but at least let me have the other lie.”
“Not a chance!”
He pouted like a child, and almost looked as though he was on the verge of tears.
“Sam!” Jake’s voiced echoed through the near-empty cafeteria, rescuing me from a highly unpleasant situation. I turned to see Jake striding towards me, looking grave. I braced myself for his lecture, trying not to look as ashamed as I knew I must have.
“Can we have a moment?” He asked Johnny, not even waiting for his reply before grasping me by the arm and dragging me to a secluded corner. I glanced up in time to see Johnny high-fiving his friends like some triumphant victor of battle.
“I’ve been hearing some stuff, Sam,” Jake whispered, his eyes wide. “Some real bad stuff.”
I drew myself up to my full height and stared at him with as much bravery as I could summon. “You shouldn’t believe everything Lacey says.”
“It’s not just Lacey saying it...”
“Oh c’mon Jake, don’t be such a moron. The first person I’d tell if I got knocked up is you

, not some gossip-monger I barely know.”
Jake’s expression relaxed, and he let out a sigh. “So you’re not...”
“No! It’s impossible.”
“Phew! I’m so not ready to be an uncle!” Jake let out a laugh, but I remained stony. Was I really just a sister to him?
“Well, I better go to home room,” I mumbled, letting my gaze drop to the floor. “I’ll see you later.”

***

I had to break up with Johnny; I knew that for certain now. Danielle can bleat all she wants about “making Jake jealous”, but the longer I persist with this façade with Johnny, the more rumours will sprout. The more rumours Miss Back-Stabbing Lacey will sprout. I shuddered a little at the thought of her. She’s the picture of innocence, and yet her heart is as black as coal.
Johnny wasn’t hard to find. He never is, really. Shooting hoops after school has become almost ritualistic for him, even when there’s no-one else to play with.
“Johnny?” I ventured, my voice drowning beneath the heavy thumping sounds of ball against concrete. “Johnny!”
He turned at the sound of my shout. I suppressed my frustration enough to let out a smile, and he grinned broadly in response. “Sam? What are you doing here?”
Johnny let the ball slip from his fingers, and it thudded to a stall at my feet. Before I had a chance to protest, he’d encircled me in his sweaty grasp and lifted me from the ground. I, rather forcefully, made him put me down.
“I was just wondering if you wanted to go for pizza later… Alone.”
He paused for a moment, his grin faltering, before becoming his usual perky self again. “Sure! You seem serious though… Is everything okay?”
I didn’t want to let on too much right here. I thought breaking the news to him in a place filled with his favorite food would be safer than alone on a deserted basketball court. “Are you kidding? I’m fine. Perfectly okay.”
“Cool!” The elation in his voice made me go cold. I felt a pang of guilt in the pit of my stomach, but ignored it. “When did you want to meet up?”
“How’s seven? I have a few things to do first.”
“Sounds like a date!” He winked, and I tried to look amused. The truth was probably more like a grimace.
I left Johnny enthusiastically dunking baskets in order to search for Jake. I don’t know why, but I thought he ought to know I was breaking it off with Johnny. He was my best-friend, after all, and I was supposed to confide in him with everything.
I made my way to his house, a knot of anxiety steadily building. I’d never had to dump anyone before. I didn’t even know where to start. I’d expected to see Jake’s silhouette in his bedroom window, but it was empty. Still, I knocked on the door all the same.
“Oh, hello Samantha,” his mother trilled, her thin lips pressed in a smile. “Have you come to see Jake?”
“I have, actually,” I said, peering beyond her shoulder. “Is he around?”
“No, sorry. He’s with Lacey.”
Jealously surged through me. “Do you know where they are?”
“I don’t, no. Is something wrong?”
Why was everyone asking me that today? I smiled and shook my head. “I guess I’ll just talk to him later.” I said, backing away from the door.
“You’re welcome to come in and wait!”
“No, that’s okay. See you later, Mom!”
Any other time I would have accepted, but I really needed to speak with Jake. A little voice told me Mrs Turner would probably give me better love advice than Jake ever could; she was, after all, like a second mother to